The Hunt
by BirdInSkies
Summary: Four people, one man. Whoever gets to him first will have a chance to decide his destiny. Will Shepard and Kaidan get their deserved revenge? Or will Annie, accompanied by James Vega, get answers from her brother? The hunt is on.
1. Chapter 1

Sequel to the story **No return**. The story follows five characters. **Emilia Shepard** and **Kaidan Alenko** as they look for Alex Northway to kill him for his crimes. **Annie Northway** and **James Vega** as they try to find answers for Annie. And **Alex Northway**, running away from quilt and consequnces of his actions, as they slowly consume him.

Some of you've been asking for this kind of story, so I'm happily giving you want. I appreciate you asking for one, and I hope you'll like it.

There'll be Vega/OC later on, and maybe some Shenko, too.

* * *

_**Kaidan Alenko - Normandy**_

Kaidan was sitting behind his desk in captain's cabin. It wasn't long ago when he called it Shepard's cabin and avoided the place entirely. Now, he could proudly call the room his, considering his belongings were in the room, though most of them were still neatly packed inside boxes on both sides of the room.

He couldn't bring himself to unpack, to make the room, that still faintly reminded him of Shepard, his. And although this room was occupied by another "commander" not so long ago, he couldn't remember his face, couldn't quite place his voice.

But her smooth voice, her features, her lovely honey smell he could remember every time his eyes closed and every time he breathed the air. And he couldn't help but wonder, did she think of him as well?

No, of course she wouldn't after what he'd done to her. Ignored her, yelled at her, judged her actions at every occasion, and worst of all, he didn't trust her. And yet she was the most honest person in his whole life, and he let her get away, again.

He took another long sip from the glass, emptying it, then placed it back on the table, right next to an empty bottle of whiskey. His eyes closed for a second, weariness overwhelming him, but he didn't give in.

Computer on his desk beeped, informing him about unread messages. Kaidan was on his feet in seconds, crossing the coffee table, stumbling while making his way to the desk. Rubbing his eyes, he opened the message and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

_Major Alenko,_

_We found his location, I'm sending you the coordinates. Bring him back alive, he might still have information we need._

_Shepard knows, I believe she's on her way, so I suggest you leave immediately._

_Admiral Hackett._

His eyes stayed fixed on the message for seconds that dragged into minutes. Next thing he knew, he was going through his stuff, taking his omni-tool, few spare clothes and more importantly, his side arm.

Considering his options, he took only a shuttle, leaving the rest of his crew behind. This was something he wanted to do alone, besides, they were on a shore leave, getting the team back together would take hour, maybe more, and he couldn't waste his time.

* * *

_**Alex Northway - London**_

A figure of a man walked out of the shadows, keeping a low profile as he passed a few buildings, always looked behind his back. His paranoia was obvious to anyone who passed him, but no one knew what caused it.

Only the man himself was aware of the danger that could be waiting for him behind another corner, or in the next building. He brushed against a woman, jumping back when their arms touched briefly. She stared at him in shock, mixed with anger.

He didn't even apologize, keeping his eyes on the ground when he was sure that she wasn't the one. But even though, he brought the collar of his closer to his face. When he couldn't take it anymore, he stormed thought the room of a local bar, ignoring the eyes that fixed on him, probably mistaking him for a homeless.

His clothes were indeed worn off, his dark coat torn here and there, his boots covered in dried mud. And his hands were covered in blood not visible to himself or others, but it was there and it drove him to the edge.

He ordered a scotch from the bartender who eyed him with questioning look, but as soon as the man placed money on the counter, the bartender nodded and poured him a glass.

"Leave the bottle." the man said, stopping the bartender from taking the scotch from him. He nodded at the money and bartender took it, giving the man his change. The man waved him away, not interested in quite large sum of money he left as a tip.

He wasn't used to this money, nor was he used to this world he helped destroy. But he found the irony of his hideout sufficient. No one will look for him here, he thought, but his guilt and paranoia were following him around like a stray dog.

* * *

_**Emilia Shepard - London**_

As soon as Northway walked into that bar, Emilia knew that this would be a long night. Considering how careful he was trying to be, he wouldn't leave until either fully drunk or sure, that no one would follow him.

The thought of spending her night outside in the cold made her shiver. She was used to this kind of weather, after all, she travelled across the galaxy on daily basis. But it's been a few months since she left the Earth.

Weather in London was certainly different than in New York, where she came from. Anderson never talked about it, so she wasn't quite as ready for this. But her goal was far more important to her than rain or wind.

She ran across the road, passing by others who tried to hide from the sudden rain shower. Diner across the street was open until late at night, so she chose it as the best spot to see the bar from. The tables inside were full, but she managed to find one right next to the window, with name of the place written on it, providing her with suitable cover.

Her leather jacket was damp from rain, so she spread it on the frame of a chair next to her, taking a seat on the other one. Soon, a waitress was asking her order, dressed in a brown uniform to match the Diner's colors.

"Coffee, please." said Emilia, smiling politely at the waitress, The young woman nodded, her blonde hair whirling around her as she turned on her hells and left to bring Emilia's coffee.

Earth was still recovering from the war, making most places seem old, or as Emilia called It, classic. Small places like this still used old money, didn't need computers or machines. Sooner or later, everything would go back to normal, but these reminders of times when humans thought about themselves as the only creatures in the galaxy, would still be here. And those more sentimental people would still come here. Occasionally, you would even find and Asari here, enjoying a cup of tea, reading a book.

A cup of hot, dark colored liquid was put on her table. The smell of coffee was spreading around the small room, mixing with various smells of pancakes, bread or sweets.

"Anything else?" asked the waitress.

"Can you tell me how long the bar is open?" Emilia pointed at the bar across the street. The waitress took a one quick glance at it before returning her attention to Emilia.

"All night, I guess." she shrugged her shoulders, the frustration in her voice was clear as day.

Emilia smiled for herself and reached for a book from her bang, placing it next to the cup of coffee.

"Then I'll take pancakes as well." she said and the waitress' face suddenly lit up, glad she wouldn't lose another customer. She watched her leave before opening her book, turning herself to a side for a better view of the street.

* * *

_**Annie Northway & James Vega - Vancouver**_

The four walls around her made Annie feel uncomfortable, like they crumble on her any minute, just like her life had few minutes ago. Sometimes it's better not knowing the truth, living a lie your whole life, or simply to stop care.

But she couldn't let it go, she had to know whether the only family she's got left betrayed her, like he betrayed the rest of the galaxy. Alliance records showed her the evidence that her brother was working for the enemy.

And now, rather than searching for him, she was rotting in a cell, exhausted, unable to use her biotic powers to break free. James Vega came to see her two or three times, brought her food and asked her questions.

Annie knew who he was, everybody knew. The heroes of galaxy, the Normandy saved us once again, it was all over the news, including the fact that Alex Northway was still wanted for aiding the Illusive Man.

It was evening, judging by the lack of light coming from the small window on the back wall, he came again. The door locked behind him and he leaned against the wall, opposite of the bed she was sitting on, hugging her knees.

He watched her as she braced herself for more questions, positioning herself so she wouldn't have to look at him directly. Annie hasn't answered any of his questions yet, but he came every time to try again. She found it annoying.

"I have a proposition." he said, his voice full of joy, as if a little kid was about to ask you to go to an amusement park together.

She snorted, facing sideways and hiding the grin on her lips. James ignored her reaction, standing completely still beside the wall, with his arms crossed on his chest.

"You want to look for your brother, I'll take you." he stated, shrugging his shoulders. Annie turned her head to him, curls of her brown hair swirling around in the motion. She eyed him with confusion, waiting for him to laugh and tell her it was a joke, but his face remained serious.

"Why?" she managed to ask, her voice as calm as she could make it, hiding the excitement that flickered inside her chest. Once again, he shrugged his shoulders, looking at the door before returning his attention to her.

Staring straight into her eyes, he said, "He's your family, you deserve an explanation."

A laugh echoed across the room, hers. James pushed away from the wall, confused. When her voice lowered to a low chuckle, she got on her feet, determination burning in her eyes.

"I'm in." was all she said. James' lips curved into a grin.

She had to swear she wouldn't try anything funny, or he'd lock her up again. Judging her options, it was either jail, or partial freedom. When they find her brother, she gets her answers, but will have to return to Alliance for the rest of her sentence.

But until they find Alex Northway, she's got couple of days at least to think of an escape plan. Staying in prison for someone like her brother was never in her plan.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Emilia Shepard – London**_

A long yawn left her throat and she rubbed her wary eyes, turning the last page of her book. Few hours have passed and she was still sitting at the same spot, ordering one coffee after another, but it seemed to have minimum effect on her. She was surprised to see the place still open, but looking at the round clock on the wall, it wasn't even midnight.

Customers have come and gone, none have stayed long enough to wonder what she was doing in here. For most people, she was just a regular person, hung up on the story of her book. And no one recognized former commander Shepard in her either. With her raven hair cut short, with casual clothes and no military uniform, no one could've known.

She closed the book, putting it back in the bag. Lifting a cup to her lips, her eyes found her reflection in the mirror, but focused on something else, someone else. The cup fell from her hand, coffee spilling all over the table. The waitress was right with her, wiping the mess she made.

"Fuck." Emilia cursed loudly, making few of the customers turn their heads to her. She quickly apologized, putting some money on the dry part of the table, nearly making the chair fall over as she tried to break her jacket free.

She cursed again, more quietly this time and slipped into the jacket as she stormed out of the door, onto the rain that got stronger over the hours. It didn't matter to her, she had to get to the bar. She ran across the street, with her bag still in her hand. When she realized it, she put the strap over her head, the contents of the bag whipping against her thigh as she ran.

The door of the bar opened before she reached her hand to do so herself, and nearly knocked her over. She jumped back in time to avoid a crash, brushing past the man who walked out. The bar was crowded, she found it hard to maneuver through the masses of people drinking and talking at the tables.

Her eyes kept shifting from one face to the other, but none of them looked familiar, until her eyes stopped at a man standing near the counter. He was looking for someone, but bartender shook his head at his questions.

"There was a man here, worn out clothes, long coat, probably looked out of place." she shouted at the bartender when she reached the counter herself. She caught the man's eyes with a corner of her eye, but ignored her former teammate and focused her attention at the bartender.

"I let him out of the back, he said he wasn't feeling well, didn't want him to puke all over the place." The bartender shrugged and motioned at the door behind the bar.

Without asking for permission, Emilia jumped over the counter, ignoring bartender's shouts. She went straight for the door, stopping when she was back on the street. It was hard to make out anything through the rain, but there was no one in sight.

"Goddamn." She ran her hands through her hair and punched the nearest wall. She was so close at nailing Northway and she let him get away. It will take her another day or two to find him again.

Kaidan ran after her, stopping close behind her. He thought she didn't know he was there, but then she suddenly turned around and grabbed a collar oh his shirt, smashing him against the door that shut after Kaidan ran out of them.

She was stronger than he remembered, was his first thought. He didn't fight back, but raised his hands, showing he was unarmed in case she thought he was someone else. But she didn't let him go, her grip tightened and rage burned in her gray eyes.

"What are you doing here? I'm not letting Alliance put their hands on Alex. I'm going to kill him." she said and only then let Kaidan loose. He stumbled, straightening himself as he leaned against the door.

He let out a sigh, "I'm not here to take him in, I'm here to get revenge."

Emilia didn't try to hide her surprise, Kaidan's words didn't seem his own. She looked him up and down, wondering if the man standing in front of her is the same Kaidan Alenko she knew before. He looked more confident, his eyes were full of determination that Emilia felt herself.

"Yeah? Well, get in line." Emilia shot back at him, running a hand through her hair once more, wiping the rain from them, though it didn't seem to do much help. Her eyes narrowed, still unable to tell whether Kaidan was telling the truth, she couldn't seem to look through his intentions anymore, and she didn't like it.

* * *

_**Kaidan Alenko – London**_

He watched her as she ran a hand trough her hair, much shorter than he remembered. And although he was surprised by her change in appearance, he was glad that he still recognized her. She wasn't happy to see him, though he didn't expect it from her. But he wasn't sure if she was angry at him or Alex, who got away.

She caught him staring at her so he avoided her eyes, but he felt a strong urge to look back at her. He found her beautiful even though she was damp from rain, the raindrops sliding down her face in ravishing pattern.

At one point, his eyes trailed back at her, catching the moment when she licked her wet lips and he felt an immediate heat ran up to his face. He rubbed his face, turning away from her. He felt stupid for thinking about her this way.

There was an awkward silence between them, but no one seemed eager to break it. He wanted to apologize, but the words were frozen on his tongue. Emilia was trying hard to stand still, but her body was shaking and her lips trembling as she tried to speak.

She cleared her throat before trying again, her voice trembling as well, "Where are you staying?"

He was taken aback by her question and it took him a moment to process the words enough to form an answer, "I just got to the city and went to look for Northway, didn't really have time to settle anywhere."

Giving him a light nod, she brought the leather jacket closer to her body, warming herself up. Imagine of her trembling body in his arms surfaced in his mind, he shook his head to lose the idea and gave himself a mental slap for thinking about it. He had no right to be close to her, no right to love her, but he even wasn't sure whether that feeling he felt every time he looked at her was innocent love, or simple lust.

Maybe he craved for something real, something he never had, someone he could trust with his life and even though he never showed it, Shepard was the only one who could provide that security for him.

"Come with me, then, can't leave you here in the middle on night." she didn't look back at him, didn't even wait to hear his answer. He didn't follow, still confused by her offer. Only after she finally turned her head and motioned for him to follow did he fell in step with her.

"You still want to kill Northway, right?" she asked, her eyes focused on the road ahead as she hurried to hide from the rain.

He nodded, "You bet, Shepard." His eyes followed her lips as they curved into a smile.

"Then we're in this together." she replied and Kaidan wanted to see deeper into the meaning of her words, he wanted to know whether she can forgive him, but gave up the search when no particular answer came from her eyes.

* * *

_**James Vega – Alliance shuttle**_

He was trying hard to focus on driving, rather than the young woman sitting next to him, but it was so damn hard. Annie was simply stunning with her curly hair that swayed around her shoulders with the rhythm of shuttle as it flowed through the air. Her emerald green eyes were unfocused, looking at nothing in particular, but at the same time they were capturing everything.

She had pronounced cheekbones and ravishing features, her skin pale and smooth. James could name at least five other women he found beautiful during the last three days, but there was something about her that made me unreachable, like a barrier she put around herself.

James took it to himself to break that barrier, finding the challenge somewhat interesting. But every time he tried to make conversation, she brushed him off with a single answer or a gesture. The challenge was getting harder every time he tried and so, after another failed attempt, he stopped trying completely.

But he couldn't stop himself from staring at her, burning her imagine into his mind, taking in every little motion, like when she brushed her hair behind her ear.

She caught his eye and held his stare for a moment, before turning herself completely, so she could look at him better. He froze in his seat, his eyes shifting from her to the consol in front of him.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked a simple question that bothered her every since he gave with the proposal. She was scared to ask it before, thinking he could still change him mind.

He cleared his throat before answering, "Just trying to help you out, besides I know that Shepard is after him. If you want answers, you need to get to your brother before she does, bonita."

"And how exactly do you know where he is?"

"I just know." he shrugs, "Shepard trusts me, she told me where she's going."

A snort escaped her lungs, "Really? But she didn't expect you to go after him, how are we going to find him?"

"I may not look like it, bonita, but I have contacts in London." he says, "We'll find him, trust me."

"I don't trust anybody." she says, turning away from his glance, sinking her head into the seat and closing her eyes.

Once again, he can't seem to take his eyes away from him as she rests against the seat, her body swaying to the motion of their shuttle. She sits still as she can, looking almost as asleep, but her thoughts keep racing in her mind and she can't quite drift off.

When the shuttle lands hour later, she opens her eyes when the swaying stops, her eyes look perfectly rested even though she didn't sleep. James follows her as she waltz to the door, glancing back at him with no emotions reflecting in her eyes.

The door opens, revealing streets of London, still wet from the last night's heavy rain. A heavy fog now covers the city, it's nearly impossible to tell what lies ahead of their eyes, but Annie walks as if the streets are her home, familiar as her own palm.

James doesn't pay attention to it, he thinks it strange but doesn't ask questions. He wouldn't want to get lost in the city and so he follows her, talking only when she asks where exactly are they meeting his contacts. James gives her an address of a bar in the center of the city and lets her take the lead, walking few steps behind her as he closely watches her back. Even though he's certain she's on his side, he can't quite get rid of the feeling of uneasiness when around her.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Kaidan Alenko – Shepard's apartment, London**_

Kaidan sits quietly on a couch in a small living room. Shepard took him to her apartment, which she rented for herself for the time being. He wondered whether she could afford it, but looking at it now, he understands.

The building itself is old, but the previous owners refused to let it be demolished. Reconstructions take some time and only three apartments are occupied by now, their occupants staying under its roof on their own risks. The walls of Shepard's apartment are crumbling here and there, but could be repaired giving enough amounts of time and resources.

The floor is stable, though there are signs of fire at some places. Most of the furniture is covered in white dusty sheets. Counting the little time Shepard expects to stay here, she didn't bother to pull them off. Only a couch in the living room is uncovered, revealing a small space for two people to sit on.

A small coffee table sits in front of it, one leg missing for it to be complete. Papers that used to fill the table are now spread on the floor next to it. Kaidan doesn't bother to check the other rooms, he sits still, listening to the shower running, as water seemed to be the only thing working properly in here, though only cold water can be used for now.

Shepard leaves the shower few minutes later, dressed in a black tank top and jeans, even though the temperature in the room seems to be the same as outside. He watched her as she opens a door to what seems to be kitchen and returns with two cans in her hands.

She hands one to Kaidan, opening the other for herself. He plays with the can in his hands, wondering whether to start a conversation or sit quietly.

The silence between them is cut off by Shepard. "We can start looking for him tomorrow, I'm done for tonight." she says, rubbing her eyes for effect.

"Alright." he nods, "How did you manage to find him anyway?"

"Luck." she says and laughs, "I moved from town to town after the war, but returned here to find Anderson. When I was returning here, I spotted the poor bastard as he walked down the street. Luckily, he didn't recognize me, so I followed him ever since, didn't really have a chance to get him if I didn't want to make a ruckus. Just when I finally decided to kill him, no matter the consequences, I lost him."

Kaidan listens quietly as she speaks, then when she's done, leans back in his seat. "Unbelievable. A wanted traitor and he's walking around London like nothing happened."

"Yeah, I know." she says, "But I'm going to find him again and this time, I'm not waiting for invitation, I'm going to kill him on sight."

Kaidan frowns next to her, watching her as she clenches her fists. She didn't use to be like this, she used to listen to reason and make right decisions, used to follow orders. But she changed so much over the time. He knew exactly why she left after council refused to help Earth, she couldn't bear to lost more people under her command, people who counted on her.

Emilia wasn't aware of it, but Kaidan well knew about her past and not once did he blame her for that decision. Maybe he should have said something sooner, he should have been there for here.

"Shepard, I-" he paused, finding the right words, "I'm sorry, about everything. The things I said, I was just lying to myself. I do respect you, I always did, because you weren't afraid to do what needed to be done."

* * *

_**Emilia Shepard – Apartment, London**_

She stood up slowly, walking towards a window, cracks in the glass created a web pattern all over it, letting cold breeze slide through. Kaidan's eyes were fixed on her back, she could feel the weight of his look. She didn't know what to say.

"I'm not following Council's every order anymore." he said when Emilia remained quietly leaning against the window frame. She pulled out a cigarette, her hands shaking slightly when she lit a lighter.

"This is not about orders, Kaidan." she let out a sigh, puff of smoke swirling in the air from the motion, disappearing with the breeze that brushed against her skin.

"What did you expect after you disappeared for two years and then surfaced, working with Cerberus?"

"I'm sorry I died, Kaidan, is that what you want to hear?" she snapped, turning around to face him.

Kaidan averted her icy gaze, this is not how he expected his apology to be. "No, I'm sorry I let you die alone, I should've stayed."

Emilia snorted, "It doesn't matter anymore, let it go." She didn't want to hear an apology, not anymore.

"No, it does matter, Shepard." He stood up and walked towards her. She held his gaze, but almost dropped the cigarette from her hand.

"I've been ignoring you because I thought you were a traitor," he says, "and it hurt."

She listened to his with her eyes wide, unable to respond. They worked together for so long before, they've been through Ash's death together and she thought it would be like this forever, she long for someone by her side but then he grew distant and she wanted to forget about him.

Now all of a sudden, every moment they spent together, it all surfaced and banged against her chest. She turned her head sideways, focusing on something, anything else than his eyes.

After a while of silence, she decided to face him again. "You hurt me, too, Kaidan." was all she said and then brushed past him. Kaidan froze in place, his empty eyes staring out of the window as he was listening to her footsteps.

* * *

_**Annie Northway – London**_

She passed the buildings, recognizing bookstores, cafés, shopping malls, but she doesn't let show on her face. Her eyes never stay at one place long enough for James to notice. The thought of his interest in her past made her walk faster, avoiding any other places she might recognize.

Fortunately, the bar they were headed to was unfamiliar to her, the last time she was in London, she wasn't really allowed to go in such places. But now, she could use a drink, or more than one. By the looks of it, James knew how to handle his drink, but she wasn't about to ask him for money, since she had none.

But she couldn't help but notice James' interest in her, though he seemed to give up on her rather quickly. Maybe he would offer to buy her a drink, she though, taking a quick look behind her shoulder, where James was walking few steps behind. Their eyes met for a second before she turned away.

She stopped in front of the bar, watching the sign with its name on it sway in the wind. It said "Jerry's place", which Annie didn't find very original. Her eyes narrowed, considering the age of the bar, but she let it go, remembering how little she cared about this place, or London in particular.

Annie reached out her hand to open the door, but James was quicker. He gripped the handle and pulled the door open, stepping to the side, so she could walk in. She gave him a faint nod of her head as she brushed past him.

The bartender greeted James with a friendly shake of his hand and a bright smile on his lips. James responded with the same greeting, indicating that he knew the bartender very well. He offered them seats at the bar and James took the offer without question.

"Two beers, Jerry, we had a long flight." James said, his eyes meeting Annie's surprised gaze, corners of her lips suddenly twitched with a smile.

"I don't like you, Vega." she said, "You can read my thoughts."

James burst out laughing and Annie followed suite, his laugh being almost contagious. The bartender put two bottles in front of them and they James let the good mood fade away as he asked his questions.

Annie listened in silence, slowly sipping her beer. Apparently, Shepard was here last night, asking about Alex. Jerry, that was the bartender's name, didn't give her any details, though he well knew that Alex took a cab from here.

"I can give you the cab's number, but you'll have to look for it yourself, I'm not that good of a detective." Jerry wrote a number on a napkin, handling it to James.

"We'll have him by evening." said James. "Did she change her appearance?"

Jerry nodded, "Sure did, short black hair this time, I wonder if she'll go blind next time." They both laughed, but Annie was still quiet.

Only when Jerry left them drink in peace did she grabbed courage to ask, "You're sure you can find him?"

James watched her with curiosity, "You don't trust me, bonita?"

"Like I said, I don't trust anybody." she replied, taking a long sip. "Besides, I barely know you."

"I think you do trust me, otherwise you'd run away first chance you got. You're still here, hell you're drinking with me, that's gotta mean something, right?"

She shrugged, slightly impressed by his logic and the fact that he could be right, though she's never admit it herself. Annie watched him as he drank his beer, but her eyes turned away when he met her gaze and gave her smile.

James made a small conversation and Annie was surprised with herself when she answered in full sentences rather than cutting him off. She was able to relax after a while and even didn't mind his flirtatious comments now and there.

But her serious side came back as soon as they walked out of the bar. James was able to trace the cab using his omni-tool and Alliance resources and they had an address of the place where Alex went to last night. It was a small warehouse on the edge of the town.

The tension was weighing heavily on Annie as James as they approached, both of them knowing it could be a trap. They looked at each other as they walked to the door at the side. James had a tight grip on his sidearm, while Annie's biotic powers were boiling inside her, ready to burst out in the smallest hint of troubles.

* * *

_**Alex Northway – Storage warehouse, London**_

He remained seated when James Vega kicked open the door, watching him with amusement through his shoulder. He did raise his hands when asked to, but the smile didn't left his lips, it even widened when he noticed his sister following behind Vega.

"Annie, I hoped you'd be the one to find me." Alex Northway stood up quietly, his hands lowering back to his side as he turned around, meeting his sister's confused gaze.

In next few seconds, two things happened at once. First, James and Annie got surrounded by mercenaries , second, James was knocked out cold by biotic powers of two Krogan who entered from behind Nortway.

Annie ran to James, checking for injuries. His head hit the wall hard, but he seemed to be conscious. He met Annie's eyes and reached out his hand to her, but she was out of his reach before he could grab her.

"No need to concern yourself with the likes of his, little sister." said Northway, slowly closing the distance between him and his sister in a hug. Annie was still confused and didn't know whether to attack.

"Don't try anything, or he dies." Alex answered her in a whisper and her hand froze in midair. "Now then, let's go somewhere more private, shall we?"

Annie followed her brother to the next room, behind a desk with a computer. She caught a glimpse of the screen, where a map with a red dot above an old building was. The door closed behind them, before she could make out anything else.

"I'm happy to see you, little sister. I've been on a run for a long time now."

Annie frowned, turning her attention back to a man she hardly recognized as her brother. "You don't say, Alex."

"Don't be like that, Ann, everything I've done was for us, for humans. We could've been the most powerful race in the galaxy. But because of Shepard, that all is in the past. All I have now, is revenge and you're going to help me."

"Forget about it." she said, earning herself a hard slap. Out of balance, she dropped to the ground. She felt blood in her mouth and powered her biotic abilities in a sudden rage. A strong force slammed against her brother, but he didn't even flinch.

Northway laughed at her sister's pathetic try to hit him and deflected the attack with his own biotic shield. The look on Annie's face as her hand fell back down was priceless for him, he couldn't hold back another laugh.

"You're going to help me kill Shepard, are you not?" he asked, pulling his sister back to her feet. She groaned when he grabbed her collar, pulling so hard she could barely breathe. Her head made a light nod and he let her go, satisfied.

"Don't kill James." she said, sinking to her knees. "He can be of use to you if you want to kill Shepard."

"I like your thinking, little sister." Alex patted her on top of her head, making her flinch at his touch. "There's no doubt that we're family. Don't you forget that, I'm the only family you've got left, the only one you can trust."

He pulled her into a tight embrace, she didn't try to fight back this time. Stroking her hair, he said, "It's time to give Shepard a visit, little sister. I promise you'll like it, you're a Northway after all."


	4. Chapter 4

It tooka bit longer to write it this time, hope you don't mind. And just a quick heads up, next chapter will be the last one. Also, I hope there aren't any mistakes in the chapter, I wanted to post it as soon as possible. _**  
**_

* * *

_**Annie Northway – Storage warehouse, London**_

She didn't belong here, there was no doubt about it. Surrounded by mercenaries and two Krogan warriors, she felt out of place. She wasn't even soldier, nor did she ever use her biotic powers on anyone in order to kill him, or her.

But now he wanted Annie to hurt someone, to actually put her biotic powers on offensive. There was no way a brother would ask something like this from his little sister.

Her mind was racing with thoughts like these, making her head hurt. She pressed her fingers tighter against her temples, shutting her eyes closed. Alex's voice reached out to her from the far end of the room, where he was personally making sure that James would stay put by locking him in a small room.

James kicked and banged at the door, but they both knew it wouldn't work, his muscles won't save him this time. He yelled her name, she raised her head quickly to look at the closed door. Pressing her hand against the cold floor, she got on her feet, walking across the room.

"Say your farewell if you must, little sister. We're leaving soon." Her brother said, not trying to hide a grin on his face. She fought with an idea of testing his biotic powers again, but her logic won. She couldn't take him down even if she wanted to.

"Annie." James' voice reached her, she turned her head away from the door, only her hand reached out to touch the metal. It was cold against her skin, she wanted to melt it, to miraculously open the door and let James out. If only she had a gun, he could shoot their way out while she'd cover him with biotic shield.

She laughed at the idea. "I'm sorry James, for dragging you into this." she says, removing her hand from the door. He doesn't say anything for a short while, then bangs at the door once more.

"Don't pull that bullshit at me, we wouldn't be here if I left you in the cell." he says with a sigh, his voice muffled by the thick metal, barely hearable as he speaks quietly.

"You meant good and I appreciate it. I've found what I was looking for, after all. We can be family again." her words made her sick in her throat, she held back a laugh and gulped hard. James didn't respond and she didn't blame him. The only thing she was ever good at, lying.

"You must be fucking kidding me, he's not your brother, he's a freak." James says, another loud bang sounds from the other side.

"Don't you dare speak of my brother that way, you don't know him. You don't know how it feels, to have no one, to have your parents abandon you." she snapped, her hands suddenly hitting the door in the same manner as James. "He's all I have."

"I do understand, more than you think and truthfully, I'd rather be alone than have a brother like that asshole." Taken aback by his words, she took a few steps back, stumbling right into her brother who grabbed her arm without hesitation.

"It's time to go." he said, staring into her eyes with coldness that could freeze her where she stood. James made more threatening comments as Alex dragged her away, but couldn't do anything to stop him.

In matter of few seconds, her life seemed to be falling apart, again. She was about to help her brother, wanted fugitive, kill the hero of the galaxy. And although she didn't understand what kind of help could she possibly provide, she was afraid she'd do more harm than good to both sides and most importantly, to herself.

_**Kaidan Alenko – Shepard's apartment, London**_

Shepard was avoiding him, there was no doubt about it. She left early in the morning, saying she needs to check on a lead, she didn't take him with her although he was here to help. Ever since she came back, with no more information that they already gathered, she's been stuck in her room.

It was getting late, Kaidan was starting to feel wary from the lack of actions. He was a soldier, he couldn't possibly sit still for few hours straight. Looking out of the window was as much outside world as he could get, though the only thing he saw in front of him was a brick wall of yet another building.

With his arms crossed on his chest, he leaned against a window frame, listening to outside traffic and occasional voices coming from other apartments. His eyes suddenly opened wide and he froze in place, listening to familiar sounds there weren't supposed to be heard anywhere near.

The door of Shepard's room opened and she walked out, stretching her arms and yawning. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed Kaidan's surprised expression. She opened her mouth to ask what's wrong, but he was pushing her down onto the ground before she could speak up.

He ignored her curses and pinned her to the floor just in time as the shooting started. Kaidan tried to pinpoint the exact location of the shooter, but there seemed to be more than one, more than dozen in fact, and they were firing all over the place.

"Good ears, Kaidan." she says to him and smiles, then reaches for two guns, handling one to Kaidan. He takes it with the same smile and follows her to take cover behind the door.

They manage to take out few guys when they kick out the front door, before they have to take cover deeper in the room. That's when the firing stops.

"Shepard, come out, I want this to be a fair fight." Alex Northway says as he enters the apartment. Kaidan looks at Shepard, she seems to be considering his offer.

"Shepard." Kaidan says and she gives him another smile, then shakes her head. He lets out a sigh he didn't know he was holding.

"We can do this the easy way, or I can simply kill James Vega if you don't come out."

They both turn to each other, considering whether his words bare any of the truth. Then she signals to Kaidan to stay put and she stands up. Kaidan pulls her back, but she shakes his hand off. Then it hits him, Northway doesn't know he's here.

Unwillingly, he remains in cover and watches her back as she walks out of the door, with no cover and only Kaidan as back up. But he would protect her, he won't let that bastard kill her.

He can hear them negotiating as he waits for his cue but it doesn't come. Then he hears a gunshot and Shepard's scream. He leaves his cover without thinking, charging inside to find Shepard on one knee, her right leg bleeding.

At first, he doesn't realize what happened. He was looking down at her and suddenly, he as smashed against the wall, Shepard lying next to him. His eyes trailed the room quickly to find the source of a biotic outburst, it was a young woman, her biotic powers stronger than Kaidan's, but out of control.

_**James Vega – Shepard's apartment, London**_

He took stairs by two, stopping only to catch his balance when the building shook uncontrollably. His left arm hurt like hell, he was barely able to break the door open and then get back on his feet long enough to get here.

Something happened, his guts were telling him to hurry and so he did, but he wasn't sure what to do after he reaches his destination. With no gun and no idea of the situation, he was out in the dark.

The higher he rose on the stairs, the worse it got, he could feel biotic powers swirling all around the place. It was harder to advance but he broke through, his eyes immediately focusing on the door that was kicked in and there she was, right in the middle of everything.

He had to shield his eyes, currents of power brushing against his skin the closer he got. Annie was kneeling on the floor, her head in her hands and she was screaming, but it was barely hearable through the noise of things getting broken.

He yelled her name, she didn't respond. Then, when he tried again, she froze, everything froze for a moment when she looked at him, desperation reflecting in her teary eyes. At that exact moment, nothing else mattered to James, she needed help and he was here to keep the word he gave her in the cell.

All things that froze in midair fell back on the ground when she broke eye contact with James, her powers raging once again. James never understood how biotic powers work, but when they destroy everything around them, that couldn't be anything good.

His skin was getting cut, his eyes sting and his whole body felt as if pulled away from her, but with a loud cry he took another step, and then another, until he could reach out his hand to touch her, to feel her burning skin against his.

When he was only few inches away from her, barely feeling any pain in his body anymore, he got down on one knee and took her into his eyes. He didn't exactly know what to do, for all he knew he could be ripped to pieces and die here, but it didn't matter.

He tried to calm her down by stroking her hair, her body shaking in her arms, her breathing was faster than it should be. It didn't work. He tried to make her look at him, pulling her hands away from her face. She shook her head no, but his grip was tight and he refused to let her go until she finally raised her eyes.

All of a sudden, they seemed to be the only ones in the room, everything around them calm, only light breeze whirling around the room. As he stared into her eyes, there was nothing more beautiful he wanted to look at right at that very moment. He could be staring at them for hours and he wouldn't realize it.

She had a spark in her eyes, a tiny flame that showed her will, she didn't want to die, but she also realized, that decision wasn't up to her anymore. Her powers were contained for far too long, there was no one to guide her when she first developed her biotic powers, no one to teach her how to control them. And so she spend her days keeping the powers hidden from the world, scared to be locked up and treated like any other child, frightened she'd have to fight.

"Hey, look at me." James' voice brought her back to reality, he still had her wrists in a tight embrace, still watched her face as if it was the last thing he would be able to saw. "I won't let you die, you'll control this."

She had to let out a low chuckle, he couldn't understand her powers. He saw the resolve in her eyes, she wasn't strong enough to control it anymore. James let go of her wrists to touch her face instead, making her look at him even though she refused.

"You're either going to control this, or we're all dead and truthfully, I don't want to die. Do you?" he asked a simple question and she didn't need time to think it through. She shook her head.

"I-I-can't." she whispered, her voice hoarse and low, but even though she tried to focus her senses, tried to make it stop somehow. Another burst of energy exploded around them and she shut her eyes closed.

"Come on, bonita, you can do this." said James, his voice desperate, but not for him, for her. No matter what he didn't want her to die, it was his duty as a soldier, he was supposed to protect her.

Another hand grabbed her shoulder, James lifted his gaze to meet Kaidan's, he gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed Annie's shoulder. James held her tighter than before, making sure she would stay with him. Kaidan was helping her control it, after all, he was a biotic, he could save her.

Few seconds, minutes, maybe hours passed when everything returned to normal. The room was devastated, whole building was shaking and one of the walls was completely destroyed, James could see the outside world, see people from the other building as they watched him, confused but relieved for it to be over. Then, a sudden darkness enveloped him.

_**Alex Northway – London**_

He struggled to keep his balance, his blurry vision making it hard for him to see. He even ran into a car, rolling over its hood and hitting the ground hard, blood covering his hand as he check his head for damage.

She was gaining up to him, the expression she wore would make him laugh any other day, but not today. He brushed past the building into an alley, regretting his decision as soon as he passed the first dumpster. It was a blind alley, there was nothing between a bullet and him.

Alex reached the wall and hit fists hit it with biotic powers so weak, he had to laugh at how pathetic he felt right now. He turned around to face his pursuer, leaning against the wall behind him.

"It's over, Northway. You have nowhere to run now." she says, corners of her mouth twitching with a victorious smile. Her right leg was bleeding, her arms were covered in scratches but she still held her gun still.

He reached out his hand, sending the last push against her, but it barely touched her skin. There was only one person he hated now and it was his sister, she made this all happen. If she could only control her powers, he wouldn't be in this situation.

"Are you really able to kill me in cold blood, Shepard? You're not like me, you won't pull the trigger." he says, his arms spreading wide.

"No, I'm nothing like you, Northway." she says and a loud bang echoes in the alley.

He can see the blood spilling out of his chest but he fails to feel the pain from it. After all, he never felt anything, towards anyone, he couldn't care less about his own pain. But even though he screamed, dropped down on his knees and let out a cry of despair. This isn't how it was supposed to be, he thinks to himself. There's only one regret he feels, the fact that it was Shepard who killed him.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Emilia Shepard – London**_

One pull of a trigger, that's all it took for her chest to be filled with relief and satisfaction. Northway's words haunted her though, she did kill a man in cold blood. She shook her head, getting rid of the thoughts. It was necessary, he betrayed them, so he had to die.

Her hand fell back to her side and at the same time, she felt the pain in her leg grow stronger. Only now she noticed a bleeding hole in it and nearly lost her balance. The more she struggled to stay on her feet, the more blood spilled on the ground. She leaned against the wall and slid down alongside it, resting her back against the cold bricks.

Emilia was starting to feel the cold air on her bare arms and soon, her whole body shook either from the cold, or the fact that she lost a lot of blood on the way here. She looked to where she ran from, it was a long way and there were trails of blood all over the road.

Her vision became blurry, keeping her eyes open seemed like an impossible task. The grip on her gun loosened, until it dropped from her hand. Just for a little while, she needed to close her eyes.

"Emilia." a familiar voice dragged her back, she looked around until she met Kaidan's worried gaze. Her gun was pointing straight at his chest, when she realized it, she let go of it and let out a sigh.

She felt like smacking his head for calling his commanding officer by her name, then everything that happened seemed to click back at its place. Once more she looked at lifeless body of Alex Northway, just to make sure he was still there.

"He's dead." she said, her voice hoarse and shaky. Kaidan might've said something in reply, but she couldn't hear it, her eyes closing again and this time, she tried to fight the exhaustion.

"-with me, Shepard. I won't lose you, not like this." She was up to hear the rest of Kaidan's words. When she looked up to where his voice was coming from, she realized that they were only few inches apart. Distance that was between them was suddenly so small she could feel his warm breath on her skin as he ran with her in his arms.

"Kaidan, I can walk on my own, you know." she managed to say, but those few words seemed to exhaust her even more and she rested her head on Kaidan's chest.

He gave out a nervous chuckle, "Yeah, I can see that, Shepard." His grip on her body tightened.

"You can call me by my first name, we're no longer on the ship and- "she paused to gather strength to continue, "and I'm a civilian."

He didn't respond, just kept on running. She felt a need to close her eyes again, but again, she fought to keep them open, just for little longer. Before they shut again, she heard Kaidan's distant voice as he called her name.

* * *

_**Annie Northway – Vancouver **_

Once again, she was locked in a familiar cell, the same one as before. James tried to pull some strings, but it was a right thing to do, after all, she did break into an Alliance building. She was exhausted for two days straight, could barely move a muscle.

On the third day, James came to see her again, this time she was sitting on the bed, awaiting his arrival. James opened the door and greeted Annie with his usual good mood and a smile on his lips. It was still hard for her to even look at him after what her brother's done.

"Come on, bonita, don't give me that look, or it's no meal for you today." he says with a laugh and she lifts her eyes to meet his.

"That would be for the best, I don't deserve it." she replies, looking down again. "I'm sorry, for everything."

You have nothing to be sorry about, Annie, it's your brother who should be in this cell to begin with." he snaps, his voice louder than any of them expected.

"Why did you help me?" she asks and looks at James, who shrugs in confusion, then scratches his head, thinking.

"I don't know, because you're hot." he says with a smile and his usual confidence. She starts laughing at his choice of words. They both stay quiet for a while, but the silence between them is far from awkward. Annie enjoys his company, his occasional flirtatious comments and his cheery self. He makes it easier for her to forget.

"Thanks, James, for helping me, for saving my life." she says with a shy smile and for a moment, her eyes meet with his, he looks away looking embarrassed for the first time while talking to her.

"Yeah, it was nothing." he replies and rubs the back of his neck. "So, I have good news." He changes the subject, "I managed to find someone who'll teach you to control your, you know, biotic powers. Also, I got in touch with Shepard, she pulled some strings and shortened your sentence. You should be out in a month or so."

James looked disappointed as if sorry he didn't try harder, as if he wanted her to be out today. Annie, on the other hand, had a bright smile on her lips and was already on her feet. She wasn't sure why exactly she was so happy, if it was because of the shorter time she has to spend in this hole, or because she would finally master her powers.

Either way, she was happy to see someone that cares enough to offer her a helping hand. She felt so happy that she approached James without thinking and hugged him with a laugh, but pulled back immediately, a blush creeping to her cheeks.

Annie couldn't meet his gaze, but he avoided her eyes in the same manner, scared that if he took another look, it would trigger something inside him, something he didn't feel towards anyone before. He knew that if he was to start something with her, it wouldn't be a one night thing and he was scared of rejection. Sometimes he didn't feel like himself when around her.

Her heart was racing against her chest and it was suddenly too hot in the small room. James was there for her from the very beginning, he helped her even though he didn't know anything about her and trusted her when he had no reason to. At first she thought him a fool, someone who'd jump from a bridge to impress a pretty girl. She slowly realized it was way deeper than that, that he really cared.

The silence dragged, only a knock on the door made them both jump in surprise and look at each other. James quickly turned to the door, said few words to the man on the other side and halfway out of the door himself, he turned to face her once more.

"I'll see you later, bonita." he says, a smile tucking the corners of his mouth. Her heart makes a flip at the sound of his voice, followed by a sudden realization that James wasn't the type of a guy to play it safe, rather to play it by instinct. A relief brushed over her and she smiles back at him unknowingly. When the door closes behind him, she sits back on the bed, her back against the wall and her lips are still curved into the same smile.

* * *

_**Kaidan Alenko - London**_

He's surprised and somewhat disappointed to find an empty bed in the hospital room, but as he's turning away to leave, he hears her voice. Without knowing it, his mind made a quick analysis of her voice, words like relief and happiness echoes in his mind. She was happy to see him.

Kaidan spent most of his time here, staying by her bed while she was still asleep, coming back to her when she woke up and keeping her company. They talked about the Normandy, about old days and how were things without her. Every time they did, he realized how empty the Normandy was without her around.

As she approached him, he stood still by the door, only looked at her when asking where she was.

"You remember that woman, Northway's sister? You helped her control her powers." she says and Kaidan thinks back at the moment he held that woman's shoulder, he never felt so much energy before, let alone channel it into his own power.

He nodded and moved away from the door, letting Shepard enter. Kaidan followed her inside, closing the door behind them.

"James asked me to vouch for her so they'd let her out sooner." Shepard explains and lowers her eyes to look at the floor, she seems to be deep in her thoughts. Kaidan approaches her and takes a seat next to her on the bed.

"So she really wasn't trying to help him." Kaidan says. "Good thing I trusted Vega on this one, I could've been helping a criminal and wouldn't know about it until it was too late."

Shepard laughs, which makes Kaidan look at her and meet his gaze. When he does, she stops laughing and averts his eyes, looking nervous or embarrassed, Kaidan couldn't really tell.

She did break into Alliance building." she continues after a while. "But she was always on our side."

"So what happens now? You're not going back to Normandy, right?"

"No, I can't and you know it." she replies, regrets fill her voice.

Kaidan lets out a sigh, "Well, I can't go back either. I disobeyed orders."

His words make Shepard jump in surprise, "You disobeyed orders?" She laughs afterwards, her voice filling up the room.

"Yeah, it was, it was great actually. No rules, no one to tell you how to do your job."

"I have way much influence on you, Alenko."

He turns his head sideways to look at her, "Yes, you do." he says with a serious expression, but there's a hint of a smile on his lips when she meets his gaze, her face flustered. She averted his eyes, looking at the floor. Kaidan lifted his left hand but stopped halfway, as if not sure that what he's about to do is a good idea.

But he was done waiting, he was done listening to a reason, he wanted to follow his instincts for a change. His fingers touched her right cheek, her skin was warm and smooth. He made her look at him and before he could close the distance that he put between them so long ago, he gave her time to pull back, to stop him. She didn't and their lips met in a long suppressed desire. And it was exactly the way it was supposed to be, it was perfect.

* * *

That's it, the end. I hope you enjoyed the short sequel and the closures for the characters, I didn't really want to jump too far into the future with it or to make it feel wierd, so I ended it like this, so you don't mind. It leaves some space for your own ideas what happened next ^^

Thank you all for reading and for your reviews, it's really fun writing for you guys. So, until the next idea pops into my mind. See ya.


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